What To Do With A Big Box Of Apples....

My friend was given a BIG box of apples and was kind enough to share them with me!
I peeled, cored and sliced, then peeled, cored and sliced, saving all the waste for the composter....remember, waste not, want not, besides, the garden has GOT to be organic!
After rinsing the apples I placed them in a deep stock pot...
and added brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, salt and lemon zest..
...before pouring in the apple cider and turning on the heat.
Oops, someone's at the door! Oh, it's my best buddy Elizabeth! She brought me this sweet little honey pot. I guess she doesn't like that cute little plastic bear my honey is in. Imagine that!
The apples simmered while we visited, and the wonderful fragrance drifted throughout the house, smelling better than any candle I've had in a heck of a long time!
They slowly thickened as they simmered. S - L - O - W - L - Y is the key word here...
Gettin' there...finally, but it still needs to thicken some more. The instructions say it should 'heap' on the spoon, not level out. Better give it a little more time...
...while I wait I think I'll take Jack out of the garage and put him on the porch. Not in honor of Halloween but, rather, to celebrate the harvest and also fall, my absolute favorite time of year. Jack looks pretty happy to be out of that box!Time to bottle up the apple butter and place it in a cool place for a week to let the flavors blend and mellow. Nite-nite. I'll show the finished product in the morning....
Here it is, pure organic apple butter. I'm thinking this may make a nice little gift for someone around the holiday season. Maybe tuck a jar into a pretty raffia filled basket along with a hand crocheted dishcloth and perhaps some other hand made goodies...candy, a crocheted book mark, a nice aroma therapy candle...the ideas are infinite.

A Rainy-Peachy Kind of Day

The rain is steadily falling, day 4, I believe it is. The garden is soggy and it's just too yucky to do anything other than indoor projects today. My friend stopped by early this morning, on her way to work, and shared with me a box of organic peaches she was lucky enough to receive from another friend. I wasn't in the mood for canning, so I decided to prepare them for the freezer. I once read somewhere that your freezer is like a safe deposit box and you should regularly make deposits as well as withdrawals. That's an interesting philosophy that seems to be true indeed. I'm sure on some nippy fall or winter day, in the near future, I'll make a 'withdrawal' from the bank and prepare a wonderful cobbler or homemade pie!

A sink full of really big peaches!

I didn't have any 'Fruit-Fresh' on hand so I crushed some vitamin C tablets and sprinkled the powder on the peaches so they would not turn dark. Works just like the expensive stuff!


Sliced, 'sprinkled' and almost ready for the freezer. My grandmother gave me this 'Texasware' bowl for my hope chest back in the early 70's and I think it came from Perry's five and dime store. I see these bowls on e-bay all the time now, usually labeled 'vintage.' Where, pray tell, did the time go and what the heck did I do with it?? Do girls still have hope chests? My, what fun that was!

Double bonus. This batch yielded lots of good organic matter for the composter.

I prefer to freeze fruit in single layers on cookie sheets before transferring it to freezer bags. That way, when I need 2 cups of peaches I can measure out exactly that, rather than getting a 'block' of peaches.

Some Plum Good Stuff

My friend was given a case of plums that seemed to come from an extra good crop and, lucky for me, she shared them! So what does a single girl who happens to be 'tween relationships do on a Friday night? Well, she makes jelly and jam, of course. Need you ask? Sheesh. So I boiled jars and lids and washed, cut and simmered those wonderful little jewel toned beauties until the juice turned to jelly, then sealed them in jars to be safely stored away for those nippy fall and winter mornings when you're just craving a little summer freshness. There was about half a jar remaining in the pot so I put that in the refrigerator and had it for breakfast this morning. Well...not just that. There was also a big, flaky biscuit. some REAL butter, a slice (or maybe 2!) of thick, smoked bacon, and some fresh squeezed orange juice. Sheesh, you can't eat jam all by its self!

A sink full of big, beautiful juicy ruby red plums...

Chopped and in the pot.

Simmering. The aroma is heavenly!

Beginning to thicken...

Seriously thickening. Sure wish I could bottle this wonderful fragrance!

The bounty, sparkling like rubies, in the windowsill.

She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family...Proverbs 31:15

Thirty Days of Happiness: Day 11

Happiness is a homemade baguette filled with 'just picked' veggies from the cottage garden!

Thirty Days of Happiness: Day 9

Happiness is surprising a friend with their favorite dessert.

4 quarts, 6 pints...

...1 half pint and 2 bottles of syrup. When I inventoried and organized the freezer a day or so ago I discovered some figs from last years harvest that I had completely forgotten about. So, because figs will be in again in about 6 weeks, I spent yesterday afternoon making strawberry-fig preserves, dotted with paper thin lemon slices, of course. They look like beautiful, vibrant rubies when the sun shines through this window.

Soup for Savannah

Savannah wanted soup today and, no, not the variety in the red and white can. Baked Potato Soup. And only the kind Granmommy makes. Having added that little tidbit in, how could I put her off? It truly is quite a treat but, trying to get a little more trim and toned, I couldn't partake of the culinary delight this time. Here's how you do it:

Baked Potato Soup
3-4 large baking potatoes
5-6 green onions
3 tablespoon butter
¼ cup flour
1 8 oz. carton heavy (whipping) cream
3-4 cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
cracked black pepper to taste
sea salt to taste
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup crispy fried bacon

Bake the potatoes until soft (I usually microwave them). This can be done the day before, and potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Cut them in half, and scoop out the potatoes from the skins.
Thinly slice the green onion, separating tops from bottoms and set aside. Melt butter with white part of green onions over medium heat. Cook, stirring with a wire whisk, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with flour, and cook, stirring, another few minutes until mixture is pale golden. Add cream, milk, pepper and salt, and continue to stir while cooking over medium heat. Add potato, green onions, sour cream and bacon. Gradually add grated cheese, and stir until all cheese is melted. Garnish with onion tops, bacon and grated cheese and serve with crusty french bread and garden salad.

Candy Making Day

I was off work today, the humidity was low and the temperature was a little cool, therefore, it was a good day for making candy. Divinity, Rum Balls, Turtles, and Peanut Butter Fudge were on the agenda as well as Justins favorite, peanut brittle. This is a simple a quick version which is every bit as good as the recipe which requires stovetop cooking. The bad thing is....it doesn't last long.


Microwave Peanut Brittle

1/3 cup white corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup dry-roasted peanuts
1 teaspoon butter
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

Spray a baking sheet with butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray (or use regular butter). In a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup, combine corn syrup and sugar. Microwave on HIGH 3 minutes. Add peanuts and microwave on HIGH 2 minutes. Add butter and vanilla, and microwave on HIGH 1 minute. Stir in baking soda, and quickly pour out on greased baking sheet. Spread it out if it looks thick. (It'll look like you ruined it at first, but it regains its rounded shape as it cools.) Once it's hard, after about 5 minutes, break into small pieces.

Cookies, Cookies And Yes, More Cookies

Pounds of butter--nothing but the REAL stuff, mountains of sugar, dozens of eggs, chocolate--lots and lots of chocolate--pecans, walnuts, cherries, sprinkles, vanilla--real pure vanilla and, for good measure, a little flour to hold it all together. Gee, I don't know what I would do without my wonderful fire engine red Kitchen Artisan Mixer these days! But everyone loves wonderful, homemade Christmas cookies. I live in an old neighborhood which has a history that runs pretty deep in this city and most of my neighbors are elderly. But my, what a wealth of knowledge they are. Most of the ladies are retired educators and many of the men are retired school principals. Sprinkled among the group are a few doctors from the era when medical offices were in houses right smack in the middle of a residential area. Back in the day when it didn't matter if you had no insurance or if funds were low. They treated you anyway and trusted God to provide when money ran short. Most of them are in or near their 80's now and they're mighty wonderful folk, all of them. And I just can't help but laugh when they call or come by to check on me when the weather is bad or something unusual is on the horizon. So at Christmas I honor them with a little token of something special from my kitchen and, after hours and hours of measuring, baking and festive wrapping, it's time to deliver. This years selection includes:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Stars
Pistachio Mexican Wedding Cookies New Orleans Praline Treats
Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Food for Thought--Stovetop Pizza

While I'd like to eat 100% organically, I'm not there yet. But I'm always delighted when I find a new recipe that is quick and easy as well as all natural and nutritious. This quick stove top version of pizza filled the bill and provided a very satisfying quick meal after a day of shopping with my bestest buddy.

I had a jump start on the prep work as I had whole wheat pizza dough snuggled in the freezer. Early in the day, I took out a ball to defrost in the fridge and then let it rest at room temperature for a half hour before I started cooking.

A batch of pizza dough makes four 8 -10" pizzas. I use a very basic recipe and have had great success using Gold Medal Organic White Whole Wheat flour.

Dough: 1 pkg yeast (2 1/4 tsp); 1 cup warm water (105° - 115°); 3 1/2 - 4 cups whole wheat flour; 4 TBS olive oil; 1 tsp salt. Mix dough ingredients, knead until smooth, let rise in oiled bowl. Once fully risen, punch down and form into four balls. Proceed with recipe or wrap well and freeze.

I used a very simple topping of one sliced vine-ripened tomato, pitted and chopped Calamata olives, a handful of grated mozzarella cheese and a little dried herb mix of basil, oregano, dried red chili and sea salt. Fresh basil would be a wonderful choice too. This pizza is also well complimented by any leftovers in the frig--chicken breast, etc.

Process: Prepare topping ingredients of your choice. Roll out dough to a 10" round. Heat 10" or 12" skillet over medium heat, add a thin layer of olive oil and when it shimmers, arrange dough in pan and continue cooking until bottom browns. Turn dough over in pan, arrange toppings on browned crust and continue cooking until bottom side is browned, toppings are warm, and cheese is melted. Add a lid to help warm toppings or alternatively, place under broiler to finish. With light toppings, as pictured above, adding a lid for a few minutes melted the cheese quickly and the whole process from start to finish didn't take but 5 - 6 minutes

A Delightful Summer Salad....

Besides working a lot of hours these days, I've spent lots of time lately spiffing up my gardens and doing countless other little projects to enhance the cozy and delightful feeling of my little cottage. Aside from the fact that I get so busy with my projects that I don't want to stop, it's just been too darn hot to do very much cooking. Actually, there's been a few days when a cherry popsicle or an icy Dr. Pepper sounded more wonderful than anything else I could possibly imagine. Knowing I can't survive on such from day to day, I sought a simple and light recipe that would be quick and not too high cal or high carb. I found just that in this great little summer salad....



Asian Chicken Salad

1 head green cabbage (sliced thinly/shredded)
3 green onions, chopped
1 can mandarin oranges (you can use a small or large can, depending on how much you want)
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
4 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
1 pkg Oriental Ramen Soup
1 pkg frozen peas, thawed
1/2 C slivered almonds (optional)

Dressing (add just before serving)
1/2 C Sugar
2/3 C Oil
6 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 packet Oriental Soup Seasoning

Directions:
Combine all items for salad & toss. Just before serving, wisk together ingredients for dressing. Toss together & serve.

If you want to save some of the salad for another day, don't add all the dressing as the salad will get soggy. If you want to add some crunch to the salad, top with some of the ramen noodles.

T.G.I.F.

After being a day shift nurse for 23 years I decided to take the plunge and transfer to the night shift. I'm a labor and delivery nurse and when I was offered a lucrative shift differential to work from 7 pm to 7 am three nights per week I accepted. I found the pace of nights to be much more subdued than that of the day shift...most of the time. Overall it's been a great trade off---a whole lot more money for a whole lot less stress--- but the really enticing factor was the idea of having more daytime hours at home. I'm a genuine nester at heart (see my Nester post from Sept. 2006) and nothing makes me happier than having lots and lots of time to feather and 're-feather' the nest. I have a nice little stretch of off days :) so from 7 am Friday until 7 pm Tuesday THAT-- nesting!--is exactly what I plan to do. I can hardly wait to begin....I'll take a nice, long aromatic bath, then jump into my favorite Victoria's Secret pajama bottoms with my UT tee-shirt and Croc's. I'll put on some nice, smooth jazz and light my favorite candles before going through each room of my little cottage, fluffing this and rearranging that, until I am perfectly satisfied that my abode feels like a welcome haven of peace and rest. I'll be sure, of course, that there's a lot of love scattered about and that I've strategically sprinkled a wonderful little trail of 'niceties' along the way to pamper and please all who enter the door. In my sweet little cozy kitchen I'll concoct a delectable, homemade organic pizza with fresh basil and tomatoes from my garden.Or maybe some wonderful tacos from the fresh mahi mahi my son caught. I'll check the classifieds for a 'can't miss this one' estate sale going on. Maybe I'll get lucky and find another old treasure like this: I'll scrub and perfume Andi and recruit a little help to move the big pots containing my citrus trees. I'll make a few plans for my soon coming cruise :) and I'll lie on the sofa with my favorite comfy quilt and read a good book or watch a movie. I may even squeeze in time for my coveted monthly foot massage and pedicure, then go for a leisurely stroll through the arboretum..falling love with every flower I meet.
On Sunday I'll go spend some time with God in His house and then have a nice little lunch with a few of the ones I love most of all. I'll drift off Sunday night feeling safe and secure and happy and fulfilled in this life with which I've been blessed. THIS is what I call a wonderful weekend and I can hardly wait for it to begin.

Tasty Tuesday

Chicken is wonderful grilled, roasted, baked or in any number of concoctions--gumbo, dumplings, tetrazzini or salad but, here in the south, nothing quite compares to fried chicken. It takes a little time, but always earns rave reviews and it's worth every minute of preparation. This is my favorite fried chicken recipe and it's wonderful served with vegetables straight from the garden, cornbread from 'scratch' and of course, sweet tea.

Southern Fried Chicken

One fresh whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
8 cups of water
1/2 cup of salt
1 1/2-2 cups shortening or oil (depending on size of your skillet) Oil should rise up the sides about 1 inch.
1 cup of flour
Salt and pepper and garlic powder to taste
Herbs as desired

Method:
To 8 cups of hot water add 1/2 cup of salt and stir until dissolved. Place in refrigerator until until cool.
Add chicken, cover, and return to the refrigerator overnight or at least 8 hours.
Mix flour, salt, pepper, garlic and herbs and place in a paper bag or plastic container with lid.
Place chicken (2 pieces at a time) in flour and shake until evenly coated
Place each piece of chicken on a plate, separated. Heat oil on high heat in a large cast-iron skillet until temperature is 350 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer, it should take about five minutes to reach that temperature. You can test the heat by throwing in a spoon of flour--if it floats and starts frying, the temperature is perfect; if the flour sinks to the bottom, it needs to heat a few more minutes.
Place chicken pieces in skillet skin-side down (they can be close, but not overlaping) and turn heat down to medium. Fry on one side until golden brown (10-15 minutes), then turn with tongs and fry other side until golden brown.
Remove fried chicken from skillet with tongs, and drain for 10 minutes on a rack over a sheet pan or on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Note: This method produces a very thin but crispy crust. If you want a super-thick crust, you can do a flour dredge, then dip it into buttermilk and then dredge in flour again. Also, go easy on the salt since the chicken will already be salty from being soaked.

Firecracker Salad

It has rained and rained and then rained some more around here and the forecast indicates that we'll see more in days to come. I don't remember the last day that we didn't have rain...it was probably two weeks ago or more. And with the already high humidity of the coastal region, rain and daily temps in the high 90's create a type of humidity that's unlike anything you can imagine. The flower and vegetable gardens are thriving in the near greenhouse climates and as for my curly hair, well, it just gets bigger and more unruly each time I step outside. But today was a great day to gather with a few friends and throw some delectables on the grill. Shish-kabobs, red snapper (thank you, Justin!), grilled corn on the cob, cole slaw, homemade garlic bread, home grown strawberries with fresh whipped cream and iced tea are just a sampling of the things that graced the table. As sunset approached we launched the party boat and floated along the Neches River, watching a better than ever firework show. I love making memories with those whom I hold dear.

Recipe
1 bag frozen corn, defrosted gently in the microwave
4 ripe plum tomatoes, halved, seeds squished out, chopped in small chunks
1/2 red onion, very finely sliced
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
small handful chopped mint

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together except for the mint. Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes (so that the red onion loses its pungency). Right before serving, mix in the mint.

In Praise of Butter Beans

If you were to stop by a true southerners home at mealtime this time of year, chances are great that you would find lima beans, better known to us as 'butter beans', gracing the table. Along with the 'butter beans' there's usually fresh sliced tomatoes (or maybe fried green tomatoes), yellow squash, sliced cucumbers, cantaloupe, fried eggplant, corn on the cob, fried okra, cornbread made from scratch with real butter and, of course, sweet iced tea. 'Round here, meat or fish is optional in the summer and even the greatest carnivores can attest to the fact that it just ain't necessary when all the wonderful summer garden vegetables are abundant.

Some folks, believe it or not, have been known to turn their noses up at lima beans. Maybe it's because they fall under the 'green category,' I don't know. But, you owe it to yourself to sample these delectable little morsels before making such a hasty decision.

The best lima beans, hands down, are those fresh from the garden to the table, and in some parts of the south-- especially Texas--they're plentiful now. But, if you aren't blessed by having a garden (or a wonderful friend with one), you can buy them frozen or dried. And they’re very versatile—for instance, you can boil them with a ham hock, fry them with sausage and peppers, puree them into a hummus, throw them into a vegetable soup, sprinkle them into a salad, or bake them with molasses and mustard. And while the bean by itself is sort of unrewarding, this quality is what makes it such a marvelous vehicle for other flavors.

So, in honor of summer and my wonderful 'God-blessed' garden, I offer you my recipe for lima beans with garlic, rosemary and bacon. Trust me, even if you think you don’t like limas, try these creamy, bacony beans and you just may change your mind. And if you’re still not convinced, think of them as butter beans because really, how could anything with the word butter in it taste bad?

Lima beans with Bacon

3 cups of fresh baby lima beans removed from the pod or 3 cups of frozen baby lima beans (1 16 oz. bag)

6 slices of bacon

1 sprig of fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon of fresh basil, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of lemon zest

Salt and pepper to taste

Fry the bacon in a skillet until all the fat is rendered, remove from skillet and crumble. Leave two tablespoons of bacon grease in the skillet.Add lima beans, garlic, half the crumbled bacon, basil, rosemary, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup of water to skillet and bring to a boil.Turn heat down to low and then simmer the beans (stirring occasionally), covered, for 20 minutes until beans are tender. (For soupier beans, just add more water.) When the beans are done, top with remaining crumbled bacon and lemon zest.

Tasty Tuesday

My long desired red Kitchenaid Artisan Mixer arrived a few days ago and today was the first time I've had a chance to use it. Wow, that dough hook is something else! No more kneading and mixing and mixing and mixing the stiff dough! I made a wonderful loaf of sour dough bread to share with a friend who's coming by for lunch today and my mind is already racing, trying to decide what to experiment with next. I have a feeling I'm gonna be the 'baking queen'...at least for the next few weeks.